Chapter 79: The Prison |
——
Lin Xian felt as though his mind was trapped in a fog.
A sharp ringing noise buzzed in his ears, while the putrid scent of damp rot filled his nostrils, making him grimace.
He had no idea if he was still on the train—
Because not even the worst bathroom on the train smelled this disgusting.
As he slowly regained consciousness, his blurred vision made out a pitch-black environment.
He was inside a dark prison cell.
In the dim shadows, a frail figure sat curled up in a corner.
Lin Xian squinted—
Her thin frame showed signs of malnutrition, but her eyes—
Her eyes burned with an intense light.
As if…
She was waiting for something.
"KIKI?"
Lin Xian’s voice wavered. His mind was still a mess.
Why does KIKI look so young?!
Sure, she was always a kid, but she wasn’t this small…
"Hey, kid," he called out.
No response.
Suppressing his confusion, Lin Xian got to his feet and started examining his surroundings.
He reached the metal door of the cell—
A mechanical lock operated by electronic circuits.
Placing his hand against it, he activated his Mechanical Heart—
The circuits revealed themselves instantly.
But this time—
No matter what he did, the lock wouldn’t budge.
"What the hell?!"
He stared at his own hand.
Did his ability fail?
Wasn’t he supposed to be on the train?
How did he suddenly end up in this place?
What was that monstrous corpse in the sky he had seen earlier?
And who was this girl that looked so much like KIKI?
His mind was a chaotic mess.
CLANG!
The sound of a heavy metal gate opening rang from afar.
Someone was coming.
In the shadows, the young KIKI flinched.
Lin Xian turned to look at her—
And saw fear flash in her eyes.
The sound of leather boots echoed down the corridor.
A group of men in uniforms and peaked caps approached the cell.
Lin Xian tensed—his Wind Cannon was ready.
The man in charge, a middle-aged officer, swept his gaze across the cell—
And looked directly at KIKI.
As if Lin Xian wasn’t even there.
"Is this the one?"
"Yes."
"Take her away."
"305, open the door."
Beep!
The electric lock disengaged, and the iron gate swung open.
Two guards stepped inside, grabbing KIKI by her arms and lifting her.
Lin Xian shot to his feet—
Ready to intervene—
But froze.
Because he realized—
No one could see him.
"What the hell?!"
A chilling realization crept over him.
He clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay calm.
This isn’t real.
I must be inside some kind of… mental projection.
The moment KIKI was taken away, the scenery outside the iron bars shifted violently.
Suddenly—
Lin Xian was no longer in a prison cell.
Instead—
It was like he was watching a movie theater in the dark.
KIKI sat stiffly on a chair.
A woman in formal attire stood before her, holding a file in her hands.
She spoke in a calm, detached voice.
"Your name is Zhao Enqi?"
"Yes."
KIKI’s voice was low and emotionless.
"What is your relationship with Zhao Lu?"
"Nothing."
"But according to our records, she’s your biological mother. She abandoned you at the Yulan Orphanage eight years ago—then disappeared."
KIKI's eyes remained empty.
"What exactly do you want to ask?"
The woman continued, unfazed.
"How much do you know about her?"
Silence.
After a brief pause, the woman said:
"We found a possible match for your father in Zhao Lu’s records. Do you want to meet him?"
KIKI didn’t react.
"Your father’s surname is Wen. He’s the CEO of Linglong Group, the wealthiest man in the city."
KIKI let out a dry chuckle.
"So I hit the jackpot, huh?"
Her words were devoid of any excitement.
The woman smirked coldly.
"I reviewed your records—"
"You escaped from the orphanage at eight years old. You survived in the Old District by scamming people. You taught yourself programming just so you could hack ATMs for cash."
"You’ve been arrested 19 times in 6 years."
"What a criminal record. Imagine that—a street rat like you ending up with such a privileged father. You must feel so proud."
KIKI's eyes hardened, but she remained silent.
The woman’s tone darkened.
"A week ago—"
"Your mother, Zhao Lu, was found dead near the Lucheng Sewage Plant."
"Her corpse had already rotted for over twenty days."
KIKI’s fingers trembled—just barely.
But her face stayed emotionless.
A group of men surrounded a battered woman, beating her mercilessly.
Blood streamed from her mouth and nose.
Her screams were gut-wrenching.
"WHERE IS YOUR DAUGHTER?!"
A man in a black suit kicked her stomach viciously.
"You think we won’t find her if you keep quiet?!"
"I… I don’t know…"
She sobbed, pleading desperately.
But—
The beatings only became more brutal.
Before long, the woman’s body stopped struggling.
Blood soaked her entire face…
"Can you help me?"
A soft, weightless voice echoed behind Lin Xian.
He spun around.
The frail girl stood there—
Watching him from the shadows.
Her delicate face was hidden in the darkness, but her eyes burned with intensity.
"Do you know who I am?" Lin Xian asked.
"You’re here to help me."
KIKI’s voice was calm.
"Help you how?" Lin Xian frowned.
She raised her hand—
Pointing at the men on the riverbank.
"Kill them."
Lin Xian's eyes narrowed.
"Who… are you?"
"I am KIKI."
The girl lifted her head.
Her gaze cut through the shadows, staring straight at him.
Lin Xian’s expression darkened.
With a flick of his wrist—
His Mechanical Heart hummed to life.
A fully-loaded Glock 23 materialized in his grip.
His stockpile of salvaged gun parts and materials made crafting basic firearms possible—
Though ammo was still limited.
The thin girl stared at the gun in fascination.
She looked back at Lin Xian—
And whispered:
"Thank you."
On the riverbank.
A thug noticed something.
"Huh? There’s a kid over there."
The men stopped beating the woman and turned.
KIKI stood in the distance—
Raising her right hand—
Fingers shaped like a gun.
"What’s this kid doing?"
"Is she crazy?"
KIKI's face was expressionless.
She murmured softly:
"Bang."
A gunshot rang out.
A man’s skull burst open—
Blood spraying across the ground.
"Sh*t, she’s got a gun!"
"Kill her!"
KIKI’s eyes burned with hatred.
She whispered again—
"Bang. Bang."
Bullets ripped through flesh.
Screams filled the air.
Within seconds, the men were torn apart by gunfire.
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